Vanish... Vanish Vanish Vanish. Maybe you're not 22 yet?

If you time your battles, watch the timer, you never have to die again. Although I feel guilty using vanish on a wiping group in an instance; on the off chance that we could make it. So I usually will die yelling valiantly into the monitor.

I might have a different strategy if I was a rogue engineer and had the option of possibly rezzin' someone.

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My rogue's currently only level 17 (just getting started) - can't wait to get vanish, as I'm sure that will help immensely! I've decided to go the engineering route so I can have a possible rez option for party wipes.

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Hehe, oh the life of an assassin! It's fun isn't it? It took me a while to get used to being a rogue, especially given that my first char was a warrior who *wanted* to get hit.

Unfortunately, the things that you are experiencing - dying lots, trouble getting behind certain foes, etc - they stay with you as you level. However, once you (1) get poisons and (2) get life-saving abilities such as Vanish, Blind and the like, things do get better.

Your friend says to avoid PVP as a sword-wielder... at the higher level ranges, he may be right, but at 10-19 WSG I tell you now that a pair of swords and 2 hot keys are all u need. 1-1-1-1-1-2. If you're geared right, most foes won't live long enough to get the 2. For all the complaints about rogue survivability and utility, I love my rogue just because of how much fun it is being that class that plays dirty, gets away with murder and can sneak past the best of defenses.

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Ah good, more rogues are always good (or not depending on how you look at it). I say welcome to the club elizabeth, your complimentary gift basket is waiting in Ravenholt Manor.

On a more on topic note, I was once a young rogue like yourself, coming from an even stranger past (that of a holy paladin). It was strange starting out, and it will take some time to adjust. For leveling, a combat heavy talent spread is good to kill things fast, but its true, its worthless in pvp. The pvp tree is subtlety, for better stealth and improving openers (cheapshot and ambush, oh how I love ambush). Not sure if you are on a pvp or pve server, but if you're on a pvp server, being a rogue is sooooo much fun (picking about 90% of your fights).

So some quick tips to get you on your way. Ditching daggers was a good start (not many good ones at early levels but they become your friend later on). Train in some ranged weapon (bow/gun/crossbow) since they will be nice for the extra stats and to hit someone long distance and pulling. Remember stealth has limits, so dont get too close. Use distract if you have it, works in pvp as well. At 20 you get your poison quest, the sooner you do it the better. Gear wise, we're most dependent on our weapons, the armor can slack a bit (up until Saturday I was running around with level 39 gloves that I simply added +40 armor to, now I have my shadowcraft gloves :D). Agil Agil Agil. Once you do get vanish, buy around 3 stacks, you'll go through them fast and wont even realise it. Learn as much first aid as possible, as a rogue you can and many times will want to solo quests (like killing some guy in a mine, you can just sneak in solo, rather than killing everything in the mine if you have someone else with you) so first aid helps, as does cooking for the nice stats boosts since we don't have buffs. Also, carry potions, for "just in case" emergencies.

Now for pvp tips. Before 40, we are still a good choice to grab the flag in WSG if no one is nearby and we are also good defending the flag, either or. Again, in the lower levels we can be kings and queens of battlegrounds with devastating opening moves (specially on cloth wearers before they get all buffed up armor). Rather than fighting in the middle of it all, you're job should be sneaking behind the the oposing team and hitting up the hunters (before 40) and casters when they least expect it. If you have to fight someone with mail or plate armor, cheap shot is the opener of choice, and an expose armor can really help. For casters, ambush is the key (although you need a dagger in the mainhand). Use detect traps, its a big help against hunters. Rather than kill one person and immediately going for the next (assuming they are close by) is not recommended by me, let yourself get out of combat so you can restealth (its easy in BG's since your team is around to help). At lower levels in contested areas, I liked stealth traveling, its slower, but can mean the difference between a death or living. Remember as a rogue, we are sorta like thiefs, we wait for the right opportunity. You have to have some patience, if you see someone killing mobs, if you are in stealth they wont see you (assuming you are about the same levels). Hang back, see how that person deals with the mobs, learn their tricks, and if they are low on health or are fighting a mob at that time, as a rogue, its perfectly fine to engage in combat with them (I wait till casters are low on health or low on mana, either way, I win)

Wow thats alot, umm, if I think of anything else, I'll put it down later

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I'm a level 29 gnome rogue...and that's my main. Surprisingly, I haven't experienced this massive dying theme you all discuss...perhaps it's because I know my limits, and I'm careful with my pulls (the skills a lvl 29 has at his disposal also helps a ton). I know when I'm going to die...usually as soon as the fight starts.

I also haven't had difficulty with getting behind things...though I admit Distract is a massive help. The trick I used in my early days was Gouge, run through the mob, turn the camera view with the left mouse button, and just single click the right mouse button...it turns you on a dime.

These days I use Distract-Ambush-Gouge-Backstab-Sinister-Eviscerate, throwing in a Kick if it's a caster...and by the time I've pulled that combo off, I probably got hit once, maybe twice...and a mob equal to my level is below 50% life.

A few must-haves: Healing potions...sometimes you need to use one to get through a fight. Powder for Vanish...it'll save your life, unless you have a DOT on you. Poisons once you get them - I especially like the one that increases casters casting time by 50% :)

In fights where I'm outclassed but have a snowball's chance in hell, I've been known to come out on top by using a well-timed healing potion, Gouge and Bandage (you never get to use the full bandage time, but you get a nice break, especially if you put talents into imp gouge), and finally Vanish which gets you out of combat long enough to recover a few more energy points - be sure to come out of stealth and attack before the mob starts to regen though...they're as quick as sheep soon after you vanish. I was able to solo a lvl 29 elite when I was lvl 24, just by being careful with my tactics and timing.

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haha,

just reading that makes we want to start a rogue!! :)

nice one mate

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I think Rogue is a very strong class...

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After a good nights sleep, I got to thinking about other things that are important for rogues to know. But first something about vanish http://www.darklegacycomics.com/34.html

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awww, my second giant post got cut off

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I'm torn when it comes to starting a rogue because leveling my hunter to 60 made me hate them so much :-|

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Lost of good comments, above. Starting my rogue was hard and I almost gave it up a few times, but I'm glad I didn't and I can say I started enjoying it around level 20 (when you get poisons and vanish).

As for the dagger/sword conundrum, there is a simple way out: use a macro.

I assigned a WeaponSwap macro very close to my directional keys (same for Stealth). With the dagger equipped, I stealth near my victim, Cheap Shot, Back Stab and then with one key press, the sword is in my hand and ready for some Sinister Strike spamming.

Works wonder, and you get the best of both worlds.

I love my rogue now (my other characters are a 60 mage and a 60 priest, so just like you, I used to be a remote fighter kind of person).

--
Cedric

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One has to play a rougue the way they were meant to be played - analyze every significant situation, figure out the tactics necessary for you to have an unfair advantage, and use innate rogue qualities to hammer them half to death before they even know you're there. Standing toe-to-toe with the big and bad, or hurling yourself into a populated area in broad daylight presents....issues.

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Ok, even more tips since my seocnd post didnt make it.

Posions:

You get a quest at level 20, and the sooner you can do the quest the better. So what poison combo is best for each class

casters: mind numbing and crippling is the best combo I find. slows down their casting giving you more chances to interrupt them, and slows them down from trying to run

hunter/warriors/paladin: crippling and instant poison are the best combo that way you can still use gogue and blind without them breaking, some will tell you wound poinson for paladins, but its just takes longer

rogue: crippling and deadly poison are a must. Deadly will put a dot on the rogue making him or her unable to get back into stealth without being knocked out.

Money:
pickpocket is the best. use it on all humanoid mobs (most have pockets). And since it takes the money from a different loot table, you can pickpocket it, take some cash, kill it and take some more. Fair warning, they might resist and get you out of stealth.

Lockpicking:
Great because you can open your own lockboxes and in some cases (SM, BRD, and Scholo i think) you wont need a key, just have the approrpiate lockpicking skill and boom, you got it, it might not be much, but its 3 slots (as of now) that you can free up.

Theres nothing else to really say, just like any other class it takes practice, you won't be the best right out of the gate, but you'll get the hang of it. and you're right, you wont get many tells asking you to join the a group, and you might not get remebered for being a good rogue, but its better than being the first one blamed on a wipe.

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I found that to really use back stab, use a gouge first to stun the enemy.

Gouge, then run right through them, run and back stab. After that hit the enemy with a couple of sinister strikes and then a closing move. it's fast an efficient.

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As a 60 rogue played 120+ days I never found it difficult to stick mainly to backstab.

On players doing backstab is quite simple, you just need to be permanently on the move (crippling poison really helps, run through them.. use your mouse to turn your char)

On mobs it mostly comes down to the: Ambush -> gauge -> backstab -> kideny shot -> backstab -> gauge -> backstab -> evi .. mob dead.
or you can do that classig Cheap Shot -> Backstab -> Kidney -> Backstab -> Gauge -> Backstab -> Evis ..

all done with a Seal fate dagger build.
On my current combat dagger build (only works with the right gear) I don't use backstab that often.. simply get S'n'D running all the time and use your leftover CBs for some kidney -> backstab combos

For the rogue itself.. lovely class.. really great for PvPing .. but in raid instances sometimes you really get pissed of by that stupid 5 button hacking. I mean, it involves some skill to really time your next slice and dice without loosing any energy ticks and not waste already running S'n'D seconds. But mainly its: Backstab -> backstab -> backstab -> backstab -> Bacsktab -> SnD -> Backstab -> Backstab -> Backstab -> Backstgab -> SnD .. with some blade flurrys and one timed vanish ..

greetings Tigraine

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Handofsua 60 Rogue of the Horde on Gilneas...glad to see that someone from outside the shadows ranks...has seen that we dont JUST poke things. Dishing out arguably the most damage in the game is an art-form...some of us rogues are the brushes (i say some because everyone knows...there are good rogues...and bad rogues). Very glad to hear Elizabeth Harper that you as a priest notice those "good" rogues that you have played with, the ones that do our job in all of its aspects. I am VERY pleased to hear that you have come over to the shadows and honestly...if you arent lvl 22 yet...keep going...22 is the point in a rogues career, that you are a rogue...and not a rouge :P (and yes i spelled it that way intentionaly) it only gets better as you go :D

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